We are committed to sustainable development of tourism and travelling
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. It employs 8.4 % of the world’s workforce and accounts for 10.4 % of gross domestic product. In Finland, tourism employs over 60,000 people, and its share of the GDP is 2.4 %. In 2007, over 900 million trips abroad were taken worldwide, generating profits of 625 billion euros.
The effects of tourism – both positive and negative – are enormous. Tourism is a prerequisite for many business activities and offers an opportunity for cooperation and spending time together, for relaxation and experiencing new things. Tourism increases tolerance and understanding between people and nations. On the other hand, tourism has a negative impact on the environment – for example, through carbon dioxide emissions and water pollution. It can also have a detrimental effect on local cultures and social structures.
As the representatives of the Finnish tourism industry, we believe that sustainable development is the guiding principle in our business and a prerequisite for the preservation of our livelihood. For the benefit of global wellbeing and our own industry, we strive to prevent and minimise, the negative effects of tourism, and increase its positive effects.
We are committed to developing, practising and marketing tourism in a sustainable manner. We aim to decrease any harmful effects caused to the climate and the environment by tourism and travel. We also favour those forms of tourism and travel products, which take into consideration the carrying capacity of local nature and the cultural, social and economic environments, as well as the sustainability of operations.